Adjustable electric plug



Oct. 9, 1951 FERGUSON 2,570,784

ADJUSTABLE ELECTRIC PLUG 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 23, 1948 Oct. 9, 1951 I K. F. FERGUSON 2,570,784

ADJUSTABLE ELECTRIC PLUG Filed July 23, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HTTOQNE'V Patented Oct. 9, 1951 UNITED STAT S TENT OFFICE V 2 Claims.

- My invention relates to improvements in electrical" plugs, and more specifically to an adjustable inale plug.

:The primary object of my invention is to providea male plug which can be plugged into an ordinary 110 volt outlet, or a larger outlet when constructed proportionally larger, and then. can be rotated in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plug prongs to the position which is most satisfactory, thus greatly reducing wear and tear o'nthe plug end of the wires or cord used.

Another object of. my invention is to provide an adjustable plugof the character described which firmly clamps the ends of the connecting wires Without the use of metal clamps, screws, ornuts and bolts.

:Another object of my invention is to provide an. adjustable plug, of the character described which does not use metal clamps, screws, or nuts and bolts to fasten the body portions together.

7 .A further object of my invention is to provide a'device ofthe character described which is relatiyely flatand sturdy, being more attractive and involving a fewer number of parts than the usual device ofthis character.

j Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims, the novelty consisting in the features of construction, combination of parts, the unique relations of the members and the relative proportioning, disposition and operation thereof, all as more completely outlined herein and particmany. pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthe present specification,

igurev 1 is a plan View showing myassembled male plug in operative position in a wall socket.

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2.2 in Figurelv ,,Figure 3 is a section along the line 3 -3in Figure 2 showing. the conventional means for locking the wire ends in the plug.

- Figure 4 is a section along the line 44 in Figure 3 showing the distributing discs and the pickup members. I

Figure 5 is a section along the line, 5--5 in Figure 3 showing the hinge joining the top memher to the cap member. 7 ,7

Figure 6 is a section along the line 66 in Figure 2eshowing the means for locking the cap memberinto position on the body member in completing the assemblage of my plug.

Figure '7 is a plan view partly in section show ing my novel means for locking the wire ends the pickup members of the plug.

Figure 8 is a section along the line 88 in Figure 7 showing my novel means for locking the wire ends in the plug.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section view showing an alternative embodiment of my plug which contains no replaceable parts.

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view of the alternative embodiment shown in Figure 9 to show how the rotor is incased in the body member.

Referring to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of my invention comprises four main parts composed of plastic or other suitable insulating material, a body member ID, a rotor I2, a top member i4 and a cap or locking member 16. The body member I 0 is provided with a shank section 3 and a recess 20, which recess substantially conforms to the shape of the walls of the said rotor it. The upper part of the recess forms the inner wall of cylindrical section 22 of the body member ID.

The rotor l2 comprises plastic portion 24, copper or brass prongs 36 and 38, and copper or brass distributing discs 4|] and 42. The plastic portion 24 may comprise five separate discs 26, 28, 38, 32 and 34 of substantially equal thickness which are glued or otherwise fastened together, or may be molded in one piece. If the plastic portion is composed of five separate discs, the said distributing discs 40 and 42 may be disposed between two pairs of these plastic discs, the distributing disc 40 being disposed between the discs 26 and 28, and the distributing disc 42 being disposed between the discs 30 and 32. By composing the rotor l2 of such discs the section 44 of the prong 35, which section is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor l2, can be disposed between the discs 32 and 34, both prongs being readily disposed on the plastic portion 24. If the plastic portion 24 is molded, the prongs 35 and 38 and the distributing discs and 42 are held in their proper relative positions and are secured in the plastic portion 24 during the molding process. The prongs 36 and 38 are disposed in the bottom end 46 of the plastic portion 24, being parallel with the axis of rotation of the rotor and the standard distance of substantially one-half inch apart.

The distributing discs 40 and 42 are longitudinally disposed along the axis of rotation of the rotor, being displaced from each other a distance of about one-quarter of an inch. The circumference of the said distributing discs 40 and 42 are substantially the same as the greatest circurnference of the plastic portion 24, there bein 3 grooves 48 and 5B in the plastic portion 24 whereby about one-eighth of an inch of both faces of each of the distributing discs is radially exposed around the peripheries.

The rotor l2 lies in the recess so that the surface of the bottom end 46 of the rotor I2 contacts the shoulder 52 of the body member It, the rotor 12 being free to rotate in the recess 20.

Pickup members 54. and 56 are disposed in the body portion Hlso that the ends 58 and 60 thereof contact the distributing discs and 42 respectively, as shown in Figures 3, i and 10. pickup members 54 and 56 are made of sheet brass or copper folded double. of the contact ends or brushes 58, and 60. of the pickup members 54 and 56 permit the contact ends or brushes 58 and 68 to contactbothziaces,

of each of the respective distributing discs 40 and 42 around the peripheries of the distributing discs 40 and 42, providing an excellent electrical contact which is undeviated asthe rotor moves.

Slots 62 and 64- in the wall ofthe cylindrical:

section 22 of the body portion l-El enablethe-respective pickup members 54 and 56 to extend from the rotor [2 into the shank section is of the body member 10.

Looking terminals 66- and- 68 are associated with the respective pickup members 54 and 56, the lockingt'erminals 66 and 68- being holes and slits punched into the pickup members in the preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in Figure 7.

12,- about which the respective wires-14 and '15 are wrapped as illustrated in Figure 3.

The top member i4 is pivotally attached-to the body member 18 by means ofhinge 78. Two raised sections fill-are provided in the top-member 14in the preferred embodiment of my invention. These raisedsections 80- register-with the locking terminals 66 and 68 when the top member I4 is in the closed position. The raised sections so press the wires M- and 'ifiand the locking terminals 66 and Gil-down into the recesses84 in the body mem-ber' 16-, the said wires being above the said locking terminals,- whereby the wires are firmly secured to the plug without the usual necessity of Wrapping the wires around a screw and screwing up the screw which-is very inconvenientand usually requires the ends of the Wires to be soldered in order to provide a good firm connection;

The cap or looking member IB- is hollow and is providedwith grooves 88 in its inner cylindrical wall. Large threads 99 are provided in the-outer wall of the cylindrical section 22 of the body member Ill; whereby the capmember I6 can be screwedon to the cylindrical section 22', holding the rotor [Zinmovable position in the recess 281 of the body member H] and the top member l4- in its closedrelationto the body member Ill. The axis of rotation of" the cap member it generally conforms to 'the axis of rotation of the rotor 12; The top member l4- is provided with a raised section 92 and the cap member is providedwith a slot 94, and this raised'section 92 and slot94 lock the cap member [6 tightly into position onthe body member ID by registry with each other when the cap member I6 is tightly screwed onto the body member Ill. The Iargesize of the threads 90*andthe grooves 88, coupled with a certainamount' of flexibility in the material used inthe body member l0 and the cap'member l8 enable the cap-member to fit tightly on the body member after the raised'section 92- has ialleninto the slot The The double. folds These locking terminals 66 and 68 mayalternatively be conventional screws 70 and.

94. We shall hereafter refer to this combination of the body member ID, the top member [4 and the cap member [6, all in fixed relation to each other, as the casing.

The previously mentioned alternative construction which makes use of screws 10 and 12 instead of locking terminals 66 and 68 does not include any recesses 84 or raised sections 8!). Otherwise this alternative construction is identical to, the preferred embodiment;

The second alternative construction shown in Figures 9 and 10 is the same as the preferred embodiment except that the wires are riveted to the pickup members, and the body member, the top member and the cap member are all included in a single molded member 96. A jacket 98'is placed around the rotor to allow free rotary movement of the latter. There are no replaceable partsin this embodiment, and it is generally used when the plug is sold already attached to the wires, this embodiment being of course more sturdy. than: those having replaceable parts.

In general the preferred embodimentof my. device is. operated. in the following way: The cap member I6 is unscrewed from thebody member l0 and, after it. has vbeenremoved, the hinged top member l4is folded upward out of" the way- Then. the wires 14: and, 16 are fed together through the passage i011 in the hinge 18'. and are spread apart, the'endof each ofthe wires-being placed on top of its respective locking terminaL. Then the hinged top member I4 is. lowered whereby each of the raised sections. 8.0 engages. the top of the respective wire and thereunder, each of the saidraised. sections mashing a wireend together with its respective locking terminal down into its corresponding recess 84', whereby the wires are securely locked; to the plug. The

hinged top member l4 is then helddownin place in its gripping relation to the body member I'll bymeans of the cap member 16, which is screwed onto the body member IO- and secured in place by registryof the raised section 92 and theslot 94. It should bepointed' out that although the passage I00 is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor l2- in the preferred embodiment of my invention, the passage can be so disposed as to make any other suitable angle withv the axis of rotation of the rotor.

The completely assembled plug with thewires attached thereto can then be plugged into an ordinary volt socket and used. In use, the prongs 36a-nd38, and hence the rotor 12' remain in stationary relation to, the socket into which the said prongs are inserted and all of the rest of the unit can be rotated 360' degrees around the rotor, thus greatly reducing wear and tear on the plugend of the wires or cord used.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention hereinshown and;described is my preferred embodiment and that various changes-in the shape, size andarrangement" of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of, my invention, or the scope of the appendedclaims,

1. An adjustable electrical plug comprising a body member having a hollow-cylindrical portion and a shank portion extending radially outwardly from said cylindrical portion, said shank portionhaving a pair-of cavities extending longitudinally thereof and communicating with the hollow interior of said cylindrical portion, a rotor rotatable in said cylindrical portion, a pair of longitudinally spaced annular grooves in the periphery of said rotor, a pair of distributing disc fixed in said rotor with the periphery of one disc being exposed in each of said grooves,

a pick up member positioned in each of said cavities and extending into brushing engagement with one of said discs, said pick up members being of U-shape in cross section and straddling the exposed peripheries of their respective discs, means for connecting an electrical conductor to the outer end of each of said pick up members, and a pair of prongs projecting from said rotor parallel to the axis thereof with one prong being connected to each of said discs.

2. An adjustable electrical plug comprising a body member having a hollow cylindrical portion and a shank portion extending radially outwardly from said cylindrical portion, a rotor rotatable in said cylindrical portion, said cylindrical portion having an annular'shoulder in one end thereof limiting axial movement of said rotor in one direction, a pair of distributing discs fixed in said rotor, a pair of pick up members positioned longitudinally of said shank portion and extending into brushing engagement with said discs, a top member hinged to said shank portion at the outer end thereof and coverin 6 said pick up members, a cap member removabl secured on the end of said cylindrical portion opposite said shoulder for retaining said rotor in'said cylindrical portion, the periphery of said cap member engaging the inner end of said top member to retain the same in position to cover said pick up members, and a pair of prongs projecting from the end of said rotor adjacent said shoulder and parallel to the axis of the rotor with one prong being connected to each of said discs.

KENNETH F. FERGUSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

